Method and apparatus for invisible headlights

Abstract

A night vision device includes an emitter having a surface band gap material integral with the surface of the emitter. A structure of uniformly spaced apertures formed by the photon band gap material. A heat source for heating the emitter is provided proximate to the emitter. When the emitter is heated, the emitter causes the photon band gap material to emit photons in the infrared bands of radiation, which have a wavelength between one hundred nanometers and one micrometer. An infrared viewing system is provided for viewing infrared bands of radiation emitted by the emitter and band gap material.

1 . A vision device for generating infrared bands of radiation, enabling sight through an infrared viewing system, the device comprising: 
 an emitter having a surface;    a band gap material integral with the surface of the emitter;    a structure of apertures formed in the photon band gap material; and    a heat source proximate to the emitter.    
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising an infrared transmissive housing supporting the emitter.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the infrared transmissive housing is mounted to a vehicle.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 2 , further comprising a reflector mounted within the infrared transmissive housing thereby reflecting at least a portion of infrared light from the emitter and the photon band gap material toward an infrared transmissive portion of the infrared transmissive housing.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the emitter and the photon band gap material can withstand temperatures of at least 500 Kelvin without significant degradation.  
   
   
       6 . The countermeasure device of  claim 1 , wherein the photon band gap material is a metal.  
   
   
       7 . The countermeasure device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the apertures in the structure of apertures is uniformly spaced.  
   
   
       8 . The countermeasure device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the apertures in the structure of apertures is equivalently sized.  
   
   
       9 . The countermeasure device of  claim 1 , wherein the emitter is heated to at least 500 Kelvin.  
   
   
       10 . A method for generating infrared bands of radiation, enabling sight through an infrared viewing system, the method comprising the steps of: 
 heating an emitter;    generating thermally excited outputs;    receiving the thermally excited outputs within a band gap material; and    emitting photons from the photon band gap material at wavelengths between approximately 700 nanometers and approximately one millimeter.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising limiting a bandwidth of the emitted photons to two microns.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising mounting the emitter within an infrared transmissive housing.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising mounting the infrared transmissive housing to a vehicle.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising heating the emitter to a temperature of at least 500 Kelvin.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising reflecting thermally excited outputs from a surface of the emitter back into the emitter using the photon band gap material.  
   
   
       16 . A system for generating infrared bands of radiation, enabling sight through an infrared viewing system, the system comprising: 
 an emitter for producing thermally excited output;    a heat source for heating the emitter; and    a band gap material for selectively receiving thermally excited output and converting the thermally excited output to emitted photons.    
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising a structure of apertures for selecting the thermally excited output to be converted by the photon band gap material.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the photon band gap material is a metal.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising a structure of uniformly spaced apertures for selecting the thermally excited output to be converted by the photon band gap material.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising a housing for mounting the emitter to a vehicle.